68 County Road, Calvin Locke’s Folly (1836)

Otis Holmes sold this lot to Calvin Locke in 1835 (286:247)., and this impressive Greek Revival house was built a year later. The size of the house and the tall Greek columns on the front exceeded his resources such that the house came to be called “Locke’s Folly.” Locke was an overseer in Augustine Heard’s lace factory, the Ipswich Manufacturing Company. It was incorporated in 1828, but due to financial difficulties was sold to Dane Manufacturing in 1846. The building is currently known as “The Columns” condominium.

“Locke’s Folly” County Rd., Ipswich

The Calvin Locke house is on the right in this photo from the 1954 hurricane.